..and other important things in life, such as knitting…

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On Speaking The Truth

A colleague said in a meeting last week that we must be able to speak the truth to each other and to those we enter into dialogue with. In this climate of hard times, where we are constantly trying to maintain good relationships, survive and ensure sustainability into the future, it’s something all of us can and should carry with us.

But what does speaking the truth mean? To me, the truth:

is what the speaker believes to be the honest, clear reality at the time he or she speaks it;

is frank, open and honest;

is not always easy to hear or to speak;

is not spoken in a mean or mean-spirited way;

can change during a dialogue, if the discourse is open-minded and ego-free;

is not taken personally by the listener, although it can be challenged providing the listener is also frank, open and honest, and willing to be open-minded and ego-free.

We work with and for Artists, who speak their own truths through their work all the time. We want them to do this. It is what Art is for. As a society, we rely on them to do exactly this, illuminating both the pleasant and unpleasant truths. Now, more than ever, we need to not be afraid to follow their example and speak our own truths – have our own dialogues with those who need to hear our message, be they other Artists, Organizations, Patrons, Sponsors, Funders or Colleagues. This is the only way we will progress and the only way we can survive.